When All Seems Lost, Just Know We Have Each Other
by Bon-chan
Summary: Even in a world of war, it is possible to find love.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey everyone, well this is my first BoB story, so I hope you like it! I was thinking about posting this up a long time ago but I was so nervous, I didn't have the guts to. Now with summer here, I have so much time to write so I thought I would share it with all of you! Please review and tell me what you think. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers nor its characters; I just admire the men in the series. :)

* * *

The people of Aldbourne watched as the ship docked. More soldiers and nurses had arrived, preparing themselves for the Day of Days. Two nurses in specific were hurrying themselves to the deck, anxious to get on solid ground. "Ev, what company did you get assigned to?" Allie said to her best friend. Evelyn looked at her. Allie was tall, fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, the typical American girl.

"Hmm…it says here I'm being put as a nurse for Easy Company. How about you?" Evelyn asked in return.

"Dog Company," Allie and Evelyn walked hastily off the ship; glad to be off. The city of Aldbourne welcomed their eyes. It was a nice sized town, but very much different from the city life Evelyn was accustomed to. The pair walked around for a bit trying to find the hospital where they would be staying with the other military nurses. After fifteen minutes of walking around town, lost and exhausted from hauling their luggage, Evelyn decided to ask one of the soldiers she spotted not to far from her.

"Excuse me, Sir; do you happen to know where the hospital is?" Evelyn asked. The man turned around and she got a better look at him. Her dark eyes met his bright blue ones, which matched his very bright blonde hair. Evelyn was about to ask him if that was his actual hair color but decided against it.

"Oh yeah, I was headed in that direction so I'll take you there. The name's Lynn Compton but everyone around here calls me Buck," he said with a smile, "are you two nurses?"

"Mmhhmm, I'm Evelyn and this is Allie. I'm the nurse for Easy Company and she's the nurse for Dog Company." Evelyn answered him.

"So you two are field nurses! You ladies must be very qualified then. I heard they're only taking a few nurses with us and that the nurses are probably even more qualified than our surgeons. Did you say Easy Company? That's where I'm at. The boys are great but with a nurse as pretty as you are, you might have some trouble…" Buck laughed. Evelyn raised an eyebrow. Not only did this blonde man talk more than a girl but he just said she couldn't handle herself. "Not to offend you, Miss Evelyn, but…you're…quite…small..," Buck said hesitantly.

"Buck, she may only be 5'3", but Ev can hold her own," Allie put in. She watched as Evelyn made a face at Buck, not realizing that he clearly saw her stick her tongue out at him. In retaliation, Buck took Evelyn's purse and lifted it above her, just out of her reach.

"BUCK! Give me that back!" Evelyn struggled as she tried to get her purse back. She tried jumping up to get it but Buck would only lift it higher. Both Allie and Buck laughed at Evelyn and her predicament.

"Already acting like siblings," Allie commented. After a few more minutes of laughter, Evelyn got tired of trying to get her purse back so she did what any other girl would do in the same situation. She stepped on Buck's foot. Hard. Buck yelped and dropped the purse, which landed in Evelyn's hands. She gave a smirk of victory and waited for Buck to stop acting like a girl so he could lead them to the hospital.

"Here you are, ladies," Buck said as the girls thanked him. "Hey Ev, how about you come over later? I want you to meet some of the boys."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan, I'll see you then!" Evelyn replied as they walked into the hospital. She and Allie turned around to wave to him.

"Okay, I'll be by around seven tonight. I'll see you!" Buck said as he went off. Evelyn and Allie walked into the hospital and were lead to their room by the receptionist. Two other girls were already there.

"Hi! You two must be the nurses we were expecting. I'm Jennifer and that's Christine." Jennifer pointed to the blonde across from her. Jennifer was a tall girl with a pretty smile. Well, everyone seemed tall to Evelyn.

"Hello, I'm Evelyn and this is Allie." After their introductions the girls got settled and decided to get to know each other better.

"Are you two with any company?" Evelyn asked.

"Oh no, we're stationed here permanently. We pretty much just take care of the incoming soldiers. You know, eye exams, shots and such," Jennifer continued, " I heard that only the top nurses get assigned to companies, which makes sense, because they already have medics dealing with the basic stuff. Plus, I overheard that they're short on surgeons, so they plan to have the nurses help out there. Are you two with any?"

"Easy for me," Evelyn replied.

"And Dog Company for me," Allie answered soon after.

"Oh, Evelyn, you're with Eugene! He's amazing…"Christine said with a dreamy expression on her face. All the girls laughed at how Easy's medic could turn her back into a love stricken high school girl.

"Buck is in Easy too. Make sure you take care of him for me, okay?" Jennifer said with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry Jen, I will," Evelyn and Allie continued putting their belongings away in the room and got to know Jennifer and Christine better. At seven, a knock halted the girls' conversation. Jennifer opened the door to find Buck Compton.

"Oh, Buck! It's really nice to see you," Jennifer said as she turned as red as a tomato. Buck only smiled at this.

"It's good to see you too, Jen," Buck replied. "Is Ev ready to go? I promised her I'd introduce her to the guys tonight."

"Coming!" Evelyn's voice echoed back to him. She rushed out to meet Buck and they started walking from the hospital to the house where some of the boys from Easy were stationed.

"How was your day?" Buck asked as they walked, the chill of nearing winter hitting their faces.

"Oh it was good, Allie and I just got settled in and talked with the girls. How about you?" Evelyn pulled her coat around her; her small body doing nothing to produce enough warmth for her. Buck laughed to himself when he saw this. How could Evelyn think she could even defend herself against those damn boys when she can't even keep herself warm? He promised to himself that he'd look after Evelyn from that point on.

"Well, I had a practice jump today with the boys. Nobody is really sure when the real drop is going to be though. Here we are!" Buck opened the door to reveal a group of five men around a table playing cars. "Hey boys, I want you to meet someone." They all turned to look. "This is Evelyn; she's the nurse for Easy." They all stood up as Buck began to introduce them. "Alright, that's Joe Liebgott, George Luz, David Webster, Joe Toye, and our medic, Eugene Roe." Evelyn gave them all a polite smile.

"It's nice to meet you all," Evelyn said, trying to remember their names.

"All the other companies are going to be jealous, Buck, since we've got the prettiest little nurse," Liebgott said with a wink and a smile. Before he could do anything else, Buck smacked his head.

"Ev, if they ever give you a hard time just let me know, yeah? I'll teach them a lesson," Buck said as he cracked his fingers.

"Heh, well, care to play cards with us?" Webster pulled out a chair for Evelyn. "Oh yeah, you too, Compton." That earned him a smack on the back of his head as well.

* * *

The boys looked back and forth at Buck and Evelyn. They all folded earlier and it seemed that Elizabeth and Buck had engaged in a staring contest rather than a poker match. Buck's eye twitched and Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Ready, Ev?" Buck smirked, "Full house." Evelyn frowned.

"Well, Buck, it looks like…" Evelyn started and Buck just smiled.

"It's alright Evelyn, I know I'm the best," Buck gloated. Evelyn could already see Buck's ego growing ten times its size.

"What are you talking about Buck? I won." Evelyn put down her cards. A straight flush. Buck gawked and the boys cheered. Evelyn only sat there, a small smirk forming. "That was payback for earlier today, Dear," Evelyn patted his head.

"Looks like you've met your match Compton," Webster said as he punched his shoulder. The other boys laughed at Buck's expression. His mouth was slightly open; disbelief written all over his face.

"Christ, Evelyn, why didn't' you tell me you were so good?" Buck said, still astonished that their little nurse had just wiped the floor with him.

"Well, Buck, I'm not as helpless as you think I am," Evelyn answered. After a few more minutes of talking, Buck looked at the clock and saw Evelyn yawn from the corner of his eye.

"Ev, it's nearly ten! You should get going." Evelyn nodded, stood up, and stretched.

"It was nice meeting you all," Evelyn gave each one a hug.

"Hey, let me walk you. It's late. Let me just go get my jacket," Buck said already walking into his room.

"Okay, I'll be outside!" Evelyn shouted at his back while she opened the door. Evelyn turned to walk and until she hit something; a very tall, solid something. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Evelyn repeated over and over, staring at her feet. She was too embarrassed to look at the person she had just run into. She was expecting to be scolded for being so careless but instead all she heard was a soft chuckle. She looked up. Brown eyes met blue and for a moment, everything seemed to stop.

"Evelyn?" Buck called out. She turned to face him. "Oh, I see you've met Lieutenant Winters and Lieutenant Nixon. Dick, Nix, this is Evelyn; she's the nurse for Easy."

"It's nice to meet you," Evelyn gave a small smile; her cheeks still slightly red from the incident that happened only a few seconds before. Dick smiled at the young, petite woman in front of him and shook her hand. Nix soon followed suit.

"Ready, Ev?" Buck said. Evelyn nodded.

"I'm sorry about earlier, and I'm sorry for leaving right when you got here, but hopefully I'll see you around?" Evelyn said as she walked out the door.

"Yeah…" Dick said as he watched her figure disappear out into the darkness of the night.

* * *

"So you're rooming with Jennifer?" Buck asked her. They were walking down the street, nearing the hospital.

"Yeah…why? You like her?" Evelyn teased. She looked at Buck and saw him turn red. "You do! You do!" Evelyn laughed as she jumped up and down. Even though she had just met Buck, she already thought of him as an older brother; protective, yet an easy target for teasing.

"Hey, Little One, you shouldn't be talking. I saw the way you were ogling over Dick back there." That shut her up. Buck snickered at this.

"You should ask Jennifer to the dance next week. I happen to know she's quite attracted to a big blonde oaf in Easy, I have no idea why though. Evelyn braced herself, knowing Buck would get her for that one. Instead, all Buck did was smile.

"How 'bout you and Dick?" Buck asked, trying to get the subject off of him and his love life.

"Are you kidding me? I barely even said two words to the man!" Evelyn replied.

"But you have to admit, he did look awfully stunned when he saw you." Evelyn scoffed at him. "Alright, here we are. Good night, Buck," Evelyn said, giving him a quick hug before heading inside the hospital.

"G'night, Evelyn. I'll see you soon!" Buck walked off back to the house, allowing himself some time to think about the day's past events.


	2. Chapter 2

Evelyn awoke to find the girls already out of bed. "Good morning, Sunshine," Jennifer said to her. Evelyn only grumbled. She was normally a people person but after her run in with Dick, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Evelyn definitely had a hard time sleeping last night. "How was yesterday?" Jennifer continued to talk to her, ignoring the fact that Evelyn was trying to block out all the noise by covering her face with a pillow. Evelyn didn't want to get up yet. She had just had the most wonderful dream that she and Dick were spending time together at the park.

"I met the most handsome man," Evelyn said to herself; or so she thought. "Damnit, I just said that out loud didn't I?" Evelyn asked herself. She didn't need to answer. The other girls had already run to her bedside, trying to figure out who it was.

"Was it Ron? It's probably Ron," Christine said.

"Christine, honey, Ron isn't even in Easy," Jennifer chastised her.

"I know…but still, he's ridiculously good looking," Christine replied her.

"Christine! What will Eugene think?!," Allie joked. "Well, Ev, are you going to tell us who it is, or are we going to have to continue guessing all day?"

"Fine, fine, fine, his name is Dick Winters," Evelyn sighed.

"Lieutenant Winters? He's really nice, but he's really shy though. Well, that's what Buck tells me anyway," Jennifer tells Evelyn.

"Okay ladies, we've got to get going. We have training today, unfortunately," Allie told the girls, rounding them all up. They walked through the hospital to the room they would be practicing in. The day was supposed to be spent doing the basics: sutures, splinting, and bandaging. The girls, much more advanced the most of the other nurses, spent most of the day gossiping instead. Evelyn, specifically, replayed the moment where she met Dick over and over in her head.

* * *

"So, you plan to meet this lieutenant of yours later?" Allie teased as she bandaged Evelyn's leg. She was happy for her friend, finding love amidst war, but she could not help but wonder if there would be someone for her.

"Al, I just met him yesterday! Not to mention I made a total fool of myself in front of him…" Evelyn sighed. She hoped that Dick didn't think she was a total failure. She is to be Easy's nurse! Evelyn began to worry. What if the men started to think she was incapable of taking care of them? If ever any one of them gets injured, their life is in her hands.

"No, stop thinking like that Evelyn. You know you can do it," Evelyn thought to herself. She looked up to Allie, "so how about you Allie, you meet anyone?" She desperately wanted to change the subject.

"What? Oh no, I haven't met anyone. Jennifer and Christine kept telling me about this Ron Speirs last night when you were gone. You know the one that Christine guessed this morning. They tell me he's absolutely gorgeous but also quite the hothead. You know I really can't deal with that type, no matter how handsome the man may be," Allie responded; as she finished up bandaging Evelyn's leg. The rest of the lesson was very easy, especially since the girls spent most of the time talking about their love lives.

* * *

After the lesson, the girls decided to explore the town a little bit. Aldbourne was a decent sized town, although it was much smaller than what Evelyn was accustomed to. And she loved it. She was born a city girl, having to live a fast paced life. Her family was wealthy, she always had someone that could do everything for her. Being on her own gave Evelyn a sense of independence that she always yearned for. Evelyn continued to think about how she knew that being a nurse in the military was the right thing to do until a loud voice halted all her thoughts.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our lucky day boys, seems like these girls are looking a little lost. How about we take them around town?" Buck smirked. Evelyn looked up at the three men towering over her.

"Oh, Buck, are you sure that all those hair dye fumes aren't getting to you? As you can see the ladies and I are just fine," Evelyn snapped, earning laughs from all around her. Buck opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Instead, he turned to Jennifer and started talking to her. Evelyn looked past Buck and saw Dick. She gave him a small smile and Dick reciprocated the gesture. Nix didn't let this go unnoticed. He saw the way his best friend looked at Evelyn last night, and knew that there was something there. Nix was happy for his friend. If anyone was deserving of finding love and happiness, it was Dick.

"Well, how about Buck and I take you ladies around town for a little while? Evelyn, I think Dick needs your help. Do you mind helping him? Great, Thanks!" With that the five quickly hurried away, leaving Dick and Evelyn alone before they could object.

"Hey, wait!" Evelyn yelled out, but they had already turned the corner. Of course she was happy to be alone with Dick, but she was worried that it would be too awkward. Evelyn muttered to herself as she turned around. She looked up and she met Dick's beautiful blue eyes, and once again time seemed to stop.

"How was your day Ev…Evelyn," Dick said; surprised that he could get a word out. Since he met this young woman, he could not stop thinking about her; her beauty, her smile, her voice. The boys didn't let him get off so easy though. They've been making fun of how red he turned after Evelyn left the house last night.

"Oh, it was alright, just some practicing today. You know, bandaging and such. How about you?" Evelyn replied, trying to think of something to talk with Dick about. She really wanted to make a good impression on him, and knew that having nothing to talk about would not help at all.

"Oh, we just had some calisthenics today along with some target practice. It's good to know that we'll have a good nurse in the company; the colonel told me that your degree is even higher than some of our surgeons. He and Evelyn began walking towards a small park. The park reminded Evelyn of the dream she had last night. She and Dick sat at a park, just talking about life; intrigued with one another.

"Mmhmm. My mother was a nurse, you know. I looked up to her so much but she passed away when I was seven. Ever since then I've promised myself that I would be a great nurse like her." The pair sat down on a bench underneath a small flowering tree. Evelyn looked up and smiled at the small flowers as she played with the necklace dangling around her neck. It was a gift her mother had given her before she passed away, and it was one of Evelyn's most prized possessions.

"I'm sure she's very proud of you Evelyn," he said as he smiled at her. Only then did he notice that she was still playing with her necklace. "Your necklace is very pretty," Dick commented, noticing the pride and love in her eyes as she looked at it.

"It was a gift from my mother for my birthday before she passed away," Evelyn said softly, "it's one of the last memories I have of her." She looked down sadly. Dick put his arm around the small woman next to him.

"Hey, it's okay Ev. Please don't be sad, I think you're mother would want you to live your life to its fullest. She wants you to be happy," Dick reassured her. "Plus, you're so beautiful when you're happy," Dick thought to himself. Evelyn gave Dick a nod and a small smile, she didn't know what it was about him, but Dick gave Evelyn a feeling of security, something that has been unfamiliar to her. They spent the next few minutes in silence, enjoying each other's company. The wind started to pick up and the flowers from the tree began to fall all around them, entangling themselves in Evelyn's hair. She looked up and watched as the flowers danced around her.

"It's so pretty," Evelyn said as she touched the flowers falling around her. Dick took in the scene before him and his breath escaped him. He felt bad for the flowers, their beauty paled in comparison to Evelyn. Her eyes lit up in the reflection of the setting sun and her smile lit up her entire face. Evelyn looked at Dick skeptically.

"What are you looking at Dick? Is there something on my face?" Evelyn put a hand on her cheek, checking if there was indeed something on her face.

"Oh no," Dick looked at her again. "You've just got flowers in your hair!"

"Oh?" Evelyn started raking her hands through her hair, desperately trying to get them out, only entangling the flowers in her hair even more. Evelyn sighed.

"Here, let me help you," Dick began brushing the flowers out of Evelyn's hair, being careful not to tangle his own hands in her hair. Dick spent the next few minutes removing the flowers from Evelyn's hair while trying to convince her that it would go much faster if she stopped trying to slap his hands away. He laughed to himself, if anyone walked by it would probably be a funny sight; a redheaded man picking through a young lady's hair while she tries to slap his hand away, yelling at him that she can do it for herself. Finally Evelyn gave in and Dick was able to work in peace, getting all the pesky flowers out of her hair. "There," Dick sighed. He tucked a stray strand of Evelyn's hair behind her ear, letting his hand rest on her cheek for a brief moment. "So beautiful…" he accidentally spoke aloud. Dick turned a deep shade of red but Evelyn only smiled. He leaned in closer to Evelyn, their eyes never breaking.

_Closer_; Evelyn reached for the hand that was on her cheek.

_Closer_; Dick took in a breath.

_Closer_; Evelyn closed her eyes.

_Closer_; "Dick!" a voice called out. The two broke away quickly. They broke away so quickly, in fact, that Evelyn had pushed Dick away so hard that he almost fell to the floor. They both turned to see Nix and Buck next to them.

"Damnit," Dick cursed under his breath. Evelyn had turned a bright shade of red, and looked like she was about to have a heart attack; Dick nearly laughed at the sight of her.

"So what have you two been up to?" Buck said with a wink. Nix stepped on his foot; of course he wanted to know, but he would ask and make fun of Dick later, not in front of Evelyn. Nix had a feeling that Evelyn was the girl for Dick and didn't want to screw it up with a stupid comment that could be said by either him or Buck. But mostly Buck.

"Dick, we were just passing by. We brought the girls back to the hospital already since it's getting a little late. We'll see you at home. Bye Ev," Nix said as he dragged Buck off.

"Well Ev, it is getting late, we should get going. How about I walk you back?" Dick said more than asked. He stood up and held out a hand for Evelyn and they began walking to the hospital. Only then did Evelyn realize how cold it had become. She hadn't brought a coat with her and she began to shiver.

"Why didn't I bring a jacket or something? Stupid Evelyn…" she thought as she put her arms around her, trying to keep herself warm. Only then did Dick notice how cold Evelyn looked. Evelyn continued to scold herself about not bringing a jacket until something warm enveloped her.

"You looked cold," was all that Dick said. He looked at her and thought about how funny she looked in his jacket. He was nearly a foot taller than her and at least twice her size; his jacket looked like it was eating her.

"No, no, no, you take it Dick, you'll get cold!" Evelyn said, already trying to get his jacket off.

"Evelyn, please, just wear it. You look like you're about to freeze and I can manage, don't worry," Dick reassured. Evelyn sighed but accepted Dick's request.

"Dick, I want to thank you for spending time with me today, I really enjoyed it." Evelyn said.

"Come on Dick, if you're going to ask her, now's the best time to do it," Dick thought to himself. Dick was surprised with himself. Normally he was very shy; he never really got to know any of the girls. But then Evelyn came and that all changed. There was something about her that had Dick wanting to know more and more about her. Hell, he up enough courage to almost kiss the girl. "Evelyn?" She looked at him. "Well you see, there's this dancing coming up next Saturday…and I was hoping…you don't have to if you don't want to…but if you'd like..." Dick continued to stammer, his face as red as his hair. Evelyn laughed softly.

"Lieutenant, are you asking me out?" Evelyn grinned. Dick could only nod in response. "Well, I accept." And what she did next not only surprised Dick, but surprised herself as well. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Dick on the cheek. "I'll see you around, Dick. Thanks again for today," Evelyn said as she waved to him and disappeared into the hospital. Dick could only stand there, his hand covering the spot where Evelyn had kissed him; smiling like an idiot.


	3. Chapter 3

Dick took his time walking home; he didn't want to let the event that had just taken place a few minutes ago to escape his mind yet. While letting his thoughts of Evelyn consume him, Dick realized that he needed to get the idiotic smile off his face to keep the boys from pestering him. He could just hear it now. Guarnere would probably be telling Dick how he thought it was impossible for him to get a girl because he was a "Quaker" who didn't drink. He wouldn't have to worry about Nix until he was piss drunk with his Vat69. He tried thinking of that moron Sobel, but to no avail, even thinking of the hatred he had for his commanding officer could not keep the smile off his face. He entered the house only to be greeted by Nixon and Buck. "Well, well, it looks like our red headed Eskimo had a good time," Nix pointed out. Dick only grunted in response, worried that if he said anything, the smile he was trying so hard to conceal would only erupt and cause a massive disaster.

"Who would have thought? Dick "turns red when a girl even talks to him" Winters has taken a liking to Easy's feisty little nurse," Buck then proceeded to nudge Dick with his elbow.

"Compton, you had better be glad that I'm in such a good mood. I could have just gone Sobel on your ass and made you run around Aldbourne screaming "Hi-ho Silver" all night long for that comment," Dick said as he walked towards his room.

"Nix, I don't think I've appreciated Evelyn as much as I do now," Buck sighed.

* * *

Evelyn entered her room and was bombarded by the girl and all of their questions.

"You and Lieutenant Winters?! I can't believe it!" Jennifer practically screamed, "Aww, the lieutenant and the lieutenant, you two make a cute pair."

"Not to mention that you two were looking a little cozy at the park," Christine said with a wink. Evelyn only laughed at the girls' reactions. It was like they were back in high school. "Are you going to tell us what happened, Ev?"

"I don't know ladies, I don't like to kiss and tell," Evelyn said with a smirk. The girls' eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" All of the girls screamed, nearly waking up the entire hospital. Evelyn hushed them. After an hour of the girls' persistent nagging, Evelyn finally gave in.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you what happened," Evelyn started, which silenced the entire room. She relayed the days events, from their time to the park, to Nix and Buck's bad timing, to Dick asking her to the dance. The girls smiled at Evelyn, happy that she was able to find happiness in a time of war.

"I know you're leaving out something Ev, you always play with your necklace when you don't tell me everything," Allie said, eager to know what Evelyn was leaving out. Evelyn sighed in defeat.

"…and then I kissed him."

* * *

"So, Lieutenant, I hear you've got some interest in our nurse," Eugene Roe said to Dick, smirking at him. Dick looked up from his typewriter, shooting the medic a look.

"Damnit, is Buck telling everyone? I should have sent him running, but then again, he probably would have told everyone that he passed by," Dick sighed, shaking his head. He could hear voices downstairs, and could distinctly here one of the men talking.

"Buck, you're telling me the Quaker has a girlfriend?! THE QUAKER?! Jesus Christ, I think the world is ending."

"Doesn't Guarnere know how loud his voice is?" Dick thought to himself. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Lew's voice.

"C'mon Doc, give Dick a break. I'm sure he nearly had a heart attack just asking her out, he doesn't need a hard time," Nix joked. Dick threw a piece of paper at the back of Nix's head. "Hey!" Nix yelled, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm just saying, Dick's got good taste. Miss Evelyn is quite the catch," the medic defended.

"Doc, do I need to tell Christine what you just said?" Dick smirked, trying to take the attention off of him.

"No sir! I was just saying, I'm glad that you found someone like Evelyn for you. If anyone deserves it, it's you," Eugene said, walking out of the room; leaving a smiling Dick who continued to type on his typewriter and an annoyed Nixon, rummaging through Dick's footlocker in search of his Vat69.

* * *

"Hey Jen, did Buck ask you to the dance yet?" Evelyn asked, curious to see if Buck did go through with it.

"Yeah…hey, how did you know about that?!" Jennifer said, getting the other two girls' attention.

"Um, a woman's intuition?" Evelyn shrugged, "actually, I figured out that Buck liked you the other day, so I could only imagine that he would ask you." Before Jennifer could say anything, Christine interrupted.

"Well ladies, it looks like we all have dates!"

"Oh?" Evelyn said skeptically, wondering who Allie was going with.

"Mmhhmm, let's see… you and Dick, Jennifer and Buck, me and Gene, and Allie and Nix!" Christine listed off.

"Allie and Lew?!" Evelyn said astounded.

"Yeah, he and I were talking about it earlier today. Everyone else had dates already so we decided to go together, you know, as friends." Allie said, a light blush creeping over her cheeks. The girls talked for the rest of the night, eagerly awaiting for Saturday to arrive.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Sorry that the last chapter and this chapter are both so short! But I updated twice in one day! (or close to one day at least) Remember to review please! I'm worried you guys don't like my story. :(

* * *

For the next few days, both the girls and boys waited in anticipation for the dance. In fact, the boys may have talked more about the dance than the girls, not that they'd ever let anyone know. Both Evelyn and Buck walked through town; it was their turn to retrieve the laundry. In reality, Buck was walking through town with Evelyn slung over his shoulder as punishment for her teasing him. "You know Buck, you've got quite a large butt," Evelyn said, slapping it trying to get him to put her down, and he obliged. "But really, I wouldn't be surprised if your fat ass got shot," Evelyn laughed, earning a light shove from Buck. At least, Buck thought it was a light shove, forgetting for a moment how little Evelyn was. She lost her balance and bumped into someone; his newspaper flying everywhere.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Evelyn said exasperated, quickly picking up the scatter papers.

"Don't worry about it," he said. Evelyn handed the papers to him and he could not take his eyes off of her. Buck took immediate notice to this.

"Hey Ev, how about you keep going? I'll met you at the laundry place," Buck said, noticing that the stranger was a private through his uniform.

"Alright, but don't take too long!" Evelyn hurried off, eager to get out of the cold.

"So private, what company are you in?" Buck interrogated. He immediately had distaste for the man; he looked at Evelyn as if she were a piece of meat for Christ's sake!

"Fox, sir," was the stranger's only response.

"Huh…well, you better make it a point to never look at Miss Evelyn like that again. She's off limits, or else you'll have to deal with me. Are we clear?" Buck threatened.

The private gave no response. Frustrated, Buck gave him a hard shove and walked away towards the direction Evelyn ran off to, failing to notice the menacing smirk creep onto the stranger's face. "We'll see about that, Lieutenant."

* * *

Evelyn walked out of the Laundromat, carrying so many packages that she couldn't even see in front of her. "Damn Buck, that's the last time I ever listen to him. 'Oh I'll meet you there Ev,' my ass!" Evelyn continued to curse Buck as she blindly walked down the street.

"By the looks of it, Miss, you can't see where you're going," a familiar voice said from in front of her.

"Dick! Well of course I can't see, all of these clothes are blocking my view," Evelyn rolled her eyes, thinking Dick couldn't see her from behind the packages.

"Now, now, I wouldn't roll my eyes at the man that's about to help you carry all of these clothes," Dick laughed as he took the load from Evelyn. "Much better, now I can see you're pretty face." Evelyn turned red at this comment and Dick smiled.

"Dick, I didn't know you were such a smooth talker," Buck said as he appeared from behind the redhead.

"And I never knew you like to sing songs at the top of your lungs when you think no one is home," Dick retorted. Buck immediately shut up; incredibly embarrassed that someone actually knew about that. After a few minutes of Evelyn's nonstop giggling, the trio made it to the house where Dick and Buck were stationed.

"Buck, can you take these in? I'm going to take these over to the hospital with Evelyn," Dick asked.

"No problem. I'll see you two later. Oh, and behave," Buck yelled over his shoulder, giving them a wink. Evelyn scoffed at this remark, not sure whether to be offended or embarrassed. Dick and Evelyn continued to walk; the hospital was still a little ways away.

"How have you been, Dick? It seems like forever since we last talked," Evelyn said, happy that she was able to enjoy Dick's company once again.

"I've been pretty busy. With winter arriving, they are trying to get in as many jumps as possible before the weather gets too bad. I'm sorry we haven't been able to see each other, I've just barely had any free time," Dick sighed as he looked down. Only then did Evelyn see how exhausted Dick looked. He had dark circles underneath his eyes and his forehead was creased with worry. Evelyn wished she could make him feel better.

"Well, you're here now, so I suppose we need to make the most out of this time, right?" Evelyn smiled.

"Right. Are you excited for Saturday?" Dick asked, hoping that she was as excited as he was.

"Oh, yes! The girls have been talking about nothing else. I think it'll be a lot of fun. How about you and the boys?" Evelyn questioned.

"I can tell they're excited; they could hardly concentrate during training. Sobel was so angry that he made us run around the training ground for most of the day, but I don't think anyone cared, really." Dick responded, remembering the earlier events of the day.

"Sobel? I think I met him once. Honestly, the moment I met the man, I wanted to take the "Hi-ho Silver!" he kept yelling about and shove it up his ass," Evelyn said bitterly. At first, Dick was astounded by what had just come out of Evelyn's mouth but soon after, laughed loudly. It just didn't seem right to him; someone as petite and proper as Evelyn saying something as vulgar as that. They arrived at the hospital and dropped off the laundry to Evelyn's room. Dick and Evelyn then returned to the entrance of the hospital. "Thank you for carrying that, Dick. I probably would have fallen onto the street or something if you hadn't come. I'm terribly clumsy," Evelyn criticized herself. Dick only smiled.

"I should get going Ev, but I'll be by on Saturday with the boys to come put you and the girls up, okay?" Dick said, noticing that the sun was already setting.

"That sounds good. I'll see you then, Dick!" Evelyn turned to go into the hospital but was stopped by Dick. He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him.

"Wait! Before I go…" Dick leaned forward and kissed Evelyn's forehead. "That was for the one you gave me last time," Dick said, before walking away. Now it was Evelyn's turn to stand there in shock, a smile forming on her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: Well here's another chapter you guys. It's pretty lengthy (nearly six pages on word), so I hope you enjoy it.  Remember to review and tell me what you think!

* * *

"Evelyn Mae, if you do not hold still I am going to burn your head off!" Allie chastised, attempting to curl her best friend's hair. Seldom did she use Evelyn's middle name, but when she did, Evelyn knew that she meant serious business. The girls had been in their room for the past few hours getting ready for the dance, wanting to look perfect for their dates. Everyone was ready except for Evelyn who was attempting to put on her dress as Allie curled her hair and Jennifer did her makeup; all at the same time.

"Ev, can you please just sit down? You'll have time to get your dress on. Besides, with the way you and Lieutenant Winters have been getting along, he'll be wanting that dress off soon enough," Jennifer snickered.

"JENNIFER! If I could move right now, I'd slap you. Plus, you might make me look like a clown…" Evelyn said, her makeup doing nothing to cover the embarrassment on her face.

"Oh Evelyn, you know you wouldn't mind it, I see the way you look at him," Jennifer replied as the girls continued to laugh at her last comment.

"JENNIFER!!" Evelyn yelled loudly and was almost certain that everyone in the hospital could hear her. Jennifer only continued to laugh at her new friend. She was happy for Evelyn and Dick; glad that they found each other.

"There! All done!" Allie sighed. She looked at Evelyn and nodded in approval. She couldn't wait to see Dick's face when he saw Evelyn. Although she hadn't gotten to know Dick very well, she could tell that he cared for Evelyn and trusted that he would take care of her and bring her happiness.

"Me too," Jennifer replied a few minutes later.

"Do I look okay?" Evelyn asked with worry in her voice.

"Evelyn, of course you do! You're always beautiful," Christine reassured her friend. "Oh, the boys are here!" She could see them through the window.

"Okay Ev, we're going to go and meet them in the lobby, when you're done changing, we'll be outside waiting for you, okay?" Allie told her, as she, Christine, and Jennifer left. Evelyn quickly changed and put her heels on, trying her best not to fall over.

"Oh wouldn't that be great if I fell over and bruised my face right now?" Evelyn thought to herself sarcastically, "That would almost certainly ruin my chances with Dick." Before walking out the door, Evelyn looked in the mirror to make sure she looked alright. Allie had curled her hair, creating soft waves that danced around her. Jennifer put on Evelyn's makeup in such a way that brought out her eyes. Pleased with her appearance, she headed out the door, readying herself for the night ahead of her.

* * *

"Hey boys," Christine called out. Eugene greeted her and kissed her hand, earning a smile from Christine. "Well, aren't we the gentleman tonight?" she teased.

"Hey Buck," Jennifer said, wrapping her arms around him. "Dick, Evelyn should be down in a little bit, she's still changing." Dick walked a little ways away, watching his friends. Doc and Christine were talking and Buck and Jennifer were laughing at something. Dick then turned to Lew and Allie. He watched as Lew gave Allie a rose. Dick remembered Lew telling him that they were her favorite.

"I wonder if Nix told her about his wife," Dick thought to himself. From hearing his stories about her, Dick wasn't very fond of her. "Maybe Allie can show Nix what he's missing." Dick let his thoughts linger and suddenly felt like the odd one out; desperately wishing that Evelyn would come down soon. After a few minutes passed, Dick felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Dick?" a soft, familiar voice called to him. Dick turned around, his breath escaping him when his eyes caught sight of Evelyn. Evelyn stood in front of him, a small smile playing across her lips. "Those soft, red lips," Dick thought to himself, hoping that she didn't notice that he was staring. He looked over her once more, noticing how her curls framed her pretty face and that her dress fitted her perfectly.

"He…Hey Evelyn," Dick said, "You look great." Evelyn's smile grew as Dick's face began to match the color of his hair.

"Dick, are you okay? You don't look too well," she asked worriedly. Evelyn let her nursing instincts take over as she stood on her tiptoes and placed her hand on his forehead, trying to get his temperature.

"Oh no, I'm fine Ev," Dick replied, regaining his composure. He then took the hand that was on his forehead in his own and brought it to their sides, not letting go.

"Are you ready to go, lovebirds?" Nix called out to them. The others were already near the exit, excited to go to the dance.

"Yeah, let's go," Dick replied as he offered his arm to Evelyn. She wrapped her arm around his and they headed off to the dance hall. The group made their way to the dance, making small talk on the way. Currently, Buck was telling everyone a story about how Nix got drunk the night before.

"You should have seen him, Allie!" Buck roared. "He was kissing his bottle of Vat69 like it was his girlfriend or something. Then Liebgott comes around and thought it would be funny to steal his whiskey. Boy, Nix, you sure would have made a great football player; you know, if you were playing with your whiskey bottle as a football. After he got your Vat69, you tackled the poor boy in no time flat," Buck laughed, his tenor voice echoing throughout the street.

"God, I'm glad I can't remember any of that," Nix said miserably, taking a drink out of the bottle he always had. "Dick I think I'm going to need to make a trip to your footlocker later." Dick only sighed.

"Hey Evelyn, are you going to do anything for your birthday?" Allie asked.

"It's your birthday?" Dick questioned, wondering when it was.

"Mmhhmm, December third. So it's next week? I completely forgot!" Evelyn explained.

"Evelyn, how you could forget?! You're turning twenty-one!" Allie exclaimed, surprised at her friend's sudden forgetfulness. Evelyn just shrugged. Ever since she met Dick, she has been taking life one day at a time; fully appreciating all the time she spent with him. The group soon arrived at the dance hall, put away their coats and sat down at a table near the back.

"You two want anything to drink?" Buck offered.

"Oh no, I'm fine," Dick and Evelyn said in unison. Buck only shrugged and walked away, looking for Jennifer. All the others left the table as well, leaving only Evelyn and Dick. Evelyn looked around her, watching couples dancing and having a good time. She continued to take in the scene before her for a few more minutes until she heard a cough next to her.

"Enjoying yourself?" Dick asked, hoping that he wasn't boring Evelyn. He really was falling for her fast and hoped that she felt the same. "I'm so plain though," Dick thought to himself sadly, "why would someone as beautiful and lively as Evelyn fall for someone like me?"

"Oh yes! I really enjoy spending time with you Dick," Evelyn game him a smile; a smile that she only gave to him. "What is it about you, Dick Winters, that has me so attracted to you?" She thought to herself.

"Hey Dick? Let's dance." Evelyn didn't wait for an answer; she took Dick's hands and led him to the dance floor. She took his arms and wrapped them around her waist and then placed her arms around his shoulders. Everything happened so fast, Dick was still in a slight daze when they began to dance. Evelyn looked up at Dick and looked longingly into his eyes. "Dick, I'm really having a great time with you tonight," Evelyn said; the smile that Dick loved so much appearing on her face. Dick looked back into her eyes and could tell that she wasn't lying. The happiness in her eyes was evident; her beautiful, deep brown eyes had nothing to hide.

Dick and Evelyn allowed themselves to be taken away by the music, not noticing how much time had been passing by. They continued to sway slowly to the music until a loud crash and shouting interrupted their moment together. Both looked around as they tried to locate the source of the noise, but could not see past the sea of people surrounding them. Before they could find out what happened, Buck came to them with a split lip, looking somewhat out of breath.

"Dick, we need your help. Some of the boys got a little too drunk and started a fight, so we're trying to get them out now," Buck said as he threw the couple an apologetic look.

"Alright, I'll be there," Dick sighed. He looked at Evelyn and gave her a look of apology, similar to that of the one Buck gave her only a moment ago. "I'll be back, okay Ev? I just need to get this straightened out and then I'll come find you after." He kissed Evelyn's forehead, reluctantly let go of her, and then walked to the bar area. Evelyn sighed and looked around for someone she knew. Without Dick next to her, Evelyn could not help but feel a bit of loneliness fill her heart. Finding no familiar faces, she walked outside and sat on a bench, allowing her some time to think about her feelings for Dick.

"Oh Evelyn, what have you gotten yourself into? You've fallen in love with the most amazing man you have ever met, but what if he doesn't feel the same way about you?" Evelyn frowned, her thoughts running rampant in her head.

* * *

Dick didn't realize that kicking the drunken soldiers out would take so long. It was nearly an hour since he had to leave Evelyn. He looked everywhere for her, but had no luck. Dick spotted Allie and asked if she'd seen her, but she told him that she hadn't seen Evelyn since they arrived at the dance. After a few more minutes of searching inside the dance hall, Dick finally decided to try and look for her outside. He opened the door and sighed in relief to find Evelyn sitting on a bench a few feet away. "I'm glad she didn't decide to go home," he thought to himself. Dick crept silently behind her and covered her eyes. "Guess who?" He whispered into her ear, making her shiver slightly. Evelyn stiffened at first, her reflexes reacting, but soon relaxed, realizing that it was Dick behind her.

"Oh, I don't know, but I'm hoping you're a ridiculously good looking soldier that can keep me company," Evelyn replied. Dick released his hands and she looked up to see his handsome face. "Well, I suppose you'll do," she teased. Dick laughed and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry that took so long, Evelyn Mae, the boys had a bit too much to drink but everything is all settled now," Dick apologized, accidentally letting Evelyn's middle name slip. If Evelyn didn't kill him now, Dick was almost sure Allie would.

"Oh, it's no problem, Dick. Hey! Did you just use my middle name? Did Allie tell you!?" Evelyn cried. She was never too fond of her middle name, since people only used it when they scolded her.

"Well, you see…" Dick trailed off, trying to think of a way to get out of his current predicament. Hearing the music coming from inside, Dick had an idea. "Evelyn, I think I owe you a dance." He pulled her up from the bench and led her to the street and wrapped his arms around her in a close embrace. Evelyn followed suit; wrapping her arms around him. Evelyn rested her head on Dick's chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Dick looked down at his angel, and realized that he has never felt more alive and happy than when he was with her. He took in a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts so he could confess his feelings to Evelyn. "Evelyn, ever sine I've met you, there's been something about you that just draws me to you. Whenever I see you, I can't help but feel happier. Whenever I'm around you, I feel more alive." Dick paused for a short while and looked at Evelyn. She looked into his eyes and searched for the truth. Dick looked back at her and she smiled; she knew that what Dick was saying was true. "What I'm trying to tell you Evelyn, is…is that I'm falling for you," Dick said quickly and looked away, breaking eye contact with Evelyn.

After a few moments, Dick began to get worried. Evelyn still had not said anything. He turned back to look at her; ready to apologize for what he had said. "You're so stupid Dick; you've only met her a few weeks ago. Of course she doesn't feel the same way." He repeatedly cursed himself over and over in his head. Dick turned to face Evelyn and was greeted her smile. She leaned forward towards Dick and kissed him softly on the lips, but then turned away quickly and looked to the ground; blushing slightly at what she had just done. Dick could not help but smile at Evelyn's actions. He tipped Evelyn's chin up and bent down to kiss her again. And again. And again. The kisses they shared were soft and sweet, both never wanting them to end. Dick rested his forehead against Evelyn's and they continued to sway to the soft music.

"Dick," Evelyn said softly into his ear, "I've fallen for you, too." Dick held her tightly, not willing to let go. The two spent the rest of the night forgetting about the war, forgetting about everything. The only thing that mattered to them was each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: **Hey everyone! Sorry it took a little longer than usual, I've been on vacation for the past few days. The good news is that the long drive gave me a lot of time to think of new ideas!

* * *

Evelyn yawned as she poured herself another cup of coffee. "Sweetheart, how many cups has that been; four? If you drink anymore, I think you'll start shrinking," Dick chastised at the woman he cared for so much. The couple had planned to meet for lunch but when Dick saw her, he realized that she hadn't gotten much sleep, if any at all. Evelyn only grumbled in response, already finished with her cup. She rested her head on the table and let her thoughts linger to the events that took placed when she returned to the hospital after the dance.

* * *

_"Allie, what happened?" Evelyn said as she rushed over to her best friend. Jennifer and Christine were already there, trying to console the distraught Allie._

_"Ev," Allie started, "Lew is married!" Another sob caused Allie to shake uncontrollably as Evelyn could feel her friend's heart break._

_"Oh Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Evelyn consoled Allie, wrapping her arms around her. Jennifer and Christine exchange apologetic glances._

_"Allie, I'm so sorry," Jennifer said softly. "I can't believe that he kissed you too! That Nix…and you two looked so wonderful too. I though that he liked you for sure…" The girls spent the rest of the night keeping Allie company, the state of their friend much more important than sleep._

* * *

"Ev? Evelyn?" Dick called out to her, waving his hand in front of her face. Evelyn snapped back into reality. She sighed as she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"When I got back, Allie was crying. I've never seen her like that before, Dick. Not over a man. She must have really liked Lew…" Evelyn said sadly. "She didn't know that he was married. I can't believe he didn't tell her!" Evelyn quickly regained her composure. Had it been any other person that broke Allie's heart, Evelyn would have immediately taken action. Nix was a different case though. Not only was he Dick's best friend, but Evelyn had become extremely close to him as well. "Did Lew tell you what happened?" Dick shook his head, curious as to what happened. "He kissed her! How could Lew do something like that; he's married!" Evelyn said, exasperated.

Dick sighed. "Ev, I think that we have to let them fix it. If we try to, I think it'll only make things worse. He grabbed her hand and stroked it gently. Evelyn closed her eyes and then nodded. As much as she hated seeing her friends hurt, Evelyn knew that Nix and Allie had to fix things on their own. She and Dick could only be there to support them.

"You're right, Dick. We can't butt in on their problems, they have to fix it. But still…I feel horrible for Allie; for both of them. I can only imagine what they must be going through right now. Evelyn gave Dick a weak smile and then yawned.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Dick said as he looked at his watch. "How about we take a little walk?" Dick got out of his chair and helped Evelyn out of hers. They walked through Aldbourne, taking in the town. Young couples walked around hand in hand, enjoying the peace. Evelyn smiled, took Dick's hand in her own, brought it to her lips, and kissed him. "What was that for?" Dick said, smiling at Evelyn's actions.

"For making me feel better, and for making me happy," Evelyn simply replied. The two continued to walk hand in hand, enjoying the time they had together. Both reveled in these moments; neither of them knowing how many they had left before they left for war. Dick turned to look at Evelyn and felt a drop of rain fall on him.

"Come on Evelyn, let's get some shelter before it starts raining too hard." Dick started to pull them in the direction of the house. Instead of following, Evelyn let go of his hand and walked into the middle of the street, letting the rain dance around her. Dick called out to her worriedly, "Evelyn, come back! You'll get sick!" He watched her twirl around in the rain, her hair following gracefully behind her. "Just like a ballerina," he thought to himself. Dick's thoughts were interrupted by Evelyn's laugh; the laugh that he loved so much.

"Oh, Lieutenant, don't you ever have any fun?" She asked, still playing in the rain. Dick thought for a moment and then grinned. He raced after her, picked her up, and spun her around; the sound of their laughter echoing throughout the emptying street. Dick placed her back gently on the ground and brought his arms around her, closing the gap between them. Evelyn looked up at him and smiled. "See that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dick shook his head. Dick never thought that he would find himself playing in the rain. Evelyn changed him, but he didn't mind. He loved Evelyn and that's all that mattered.

"No, no it wasn't," Dick said as he lowered his head, capturing Evelyn's lips in a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, not letting the moment die yet. Those who passed by thought the couple to be crazy, yet, they couldn't help but find hope in looking at the two; hope that happiness could be found even amidst the war.

* * *

Dick and Evelyn arrived at the house, only to find Buck and Jennifer huddled over the dining table, hard at work.

"Hey you two, what are you up to?" Evelyn called out. The duo immediately jumped up and scrambled to hide whatever they were working on. Evelyn held a look of confusion on her face but Dick knew exactly what Jennifer and Buck were up to. They had been planning Evelyn's twenty-first birthday party. Jennifer had been there since the morning working with Buck. Dick didn't think that they would still be planning sincei t was getting late.

"That was close," Dick thought. He told Evelyn to wait as he walked off to his room for dry clothes.

"Why are you two all wet?" Jennifer asked, hoping to take the attention off of her and Buck. They had been working hard all day just trying to plan her party and she didn't want to ruin the surprise.

"Playing in the rain," Evelyn stated simply. She waited for Dick near the door so she wouldn't get anything wet. Soon enough, Dick came down and handed her a towel and one of his clean shirts.

"Hey Ev, here's a towel and something you can change into while your clothes dry. The bathroom is down the hall to the right." He tossed her the clothes and watched as she scurried off to the bathroom and then turned to Buck and Jennifer. "How did planning go?"

"It went well, we got everything done. Now we just gotta tell everyone," Buck said. He looked over to Jennifer and noticed her shiver. The rain started to come down harder and the wind began to pick up; immediately filling the room with cold air. Buck went over to the fire place and lit a fire as Dick began closing all the windows.

"Mm, that feels nice," Evelyn said as she walked into the living room. Dick looked over at Evelyn, noticing how his shirt covered Evelyn just enough. He turned slightly red, as he let his thoughts of Evelyn linger. She went to the fire and placed her dress on a chair to let dry. Evelyn then turned to the nearby couch and sat down, using Dick's towel to dry her hair. Dick, Buck, and Jennifer soon followed suit.

"Ladies, I think you two should stay here until the rain lets up. It's too dangerous to go out there now," Buck said. Dick nodded his head in agreement; the sounds of thunder increasingly getting louder and louder.

"What did you two do all day?" Evelyn asked. Buck's eyes widened at the question not knowing what to say. Jennifer saw this and nudged him, keeping him from saying anything.

"Well, it was Buck's turn to go to the market this week, so I went with him to make the boys have something else to eat besides peanuts and beer; unlike the last time Buck went shopping." Jennifer shot him a look and laughed as she watched Buck turn red. "And what did you two do?" Jennifer asked.

"Well Dick and I went out for lunch and then spent some time together. But the weather kept us from staying out any longer…" Evelyn replied sadly, her hand unconsciously looking for Dick's. Whenever they held hands, Dick always remembered just how small Evelyn was; his hard, calloused hand could easily swallow both of Evelyn's soft ones.

"Is anyone hungry? We should start dinner soon," Dick said. He immediately got his answer when Buck's stomach growled. Dick sighed; another night of either his or Buck's cooking. Not good; they'd either burn the food or the kitchen, both a good possibility. Evelyn didn't let Dick's changing demeanor go unnoticed.

"Hey Jen, how about we do the cooking? I'm sure these boys are tired of eating nasty man food," Evelyn said as she got up from her seat, suddenly feeling the loss of warmth Dick provided her. Buck was about to retaliate at Evelyn's comment when he realized that she was right. He was tired of eating burned food all the time; none of the Easy boys knew how to cook. Buck swallowed his pride this time, hoping that he wouldn't have to swallow anything overcooked tonight. Evelyn and Jennifer hurried off to the kitchen while the planned on what to make.

* * *

"Hmm…that smells good," Dick said as he stood behind Evelyn and wrapped his arms around her. Evelyn was so hard at work; she jumped slightly at Dick's actions, only then noticing that he was there.

"It's just about done, want to try?" Evelyn ladled some of the stew and lifted it to Dick's mouth, letting him try. He looked at him in anticipation, hoping that he liked it.

"Evelyn, I don't think I've had anything that good since before Toccoa," Dick said, savoring Evelyn's cooking. He tried to reach for the spoon so he could get more but Evelyn quickly slapped his hand away.

"You're going to have to wait, dear. Allie should have set the plates by now so why don't you go and have a seat?" Dick let out a sigh and agreed. As he walked out of the kitchen, Dick couldn't help but notice, once again, how his shirt complimented all of Evelyn's…assets. Dick closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to regain his composure and then sat down, joining Jennifer and Buck, who were currently in a staring contest. Soon after, Evelyn came into the dining room, a large pot in her hands. "Alright, dinner's ready!"

* * *

About an hour later, the four had already finished dinner, but the rain was no where near finishing its downpour. "What time is it?" Evelyn asked, looking out the window, wondering how much more it could possibly rain. Buck looked down at his watch.

"It's a little after seven," Buck replied. "I must admit Evelyn, you're a wonderful cook. Your expertise in the kitchen definitely makes up for your…lack of height." Buck laughed. He couldn't help himself; he loved teasing Evelyn, and knew that her height always got to her. He knew she was going to say something in retaliation, but decided to save himself from any humiliation in front of Jennifer. "But really Ev, that was amazing. I've been so used to eating food that I'm pretty sure isn't very edible. Oh gosh, one time Nix tried to cook a roast, and it was so overdone, we all decided to play football with it instead."

Evelyn laughed, imagining the scene in her head. "Well, it wasn't just me, Jennifer helped too," Evelyn said modestly. She never liked taking all of the credit.

"Evelyn, you've got to be kidding me. I barely did anything, I just handed you everything you asked for," Jennifer said. She looked up at Evelyn, who was already clearing the table. "Ev, let me help you, you've already done too much," Jennifer said as she got out of her seat. Evelyn sat her back down and shook her head.

"No, no, no, you three go ahead and relax, I've got it." The three opened their mouths to protest, but Evelyn beat them to it. "Seriously you guys, I've got it. Now go relax and I'm not taking no for an answer," she said sternly. Buck, Jennifer, and Dick all sighed in defeat. Evelyn finished stacking all the dishes and was walking carefully to the kitchen when she overhead Buck say something.

"Dick, you've got quite the catch," Buck said.

"Yeah, yeah I do," she heard Dick reply. Evelyn smiled at this and began to clean the dishes.

* * *

Evelyn walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room exhausted. "Everyone else still not here?" She asked Buck and Jennifer, who were in an intense game of chess. Buck scratched his head in concentration.

"Huh? Oh yeah, not here yet…" he replied, looking for his next move. Evelyn shook her head in amusement, she had never seen Buck so concentrated since she had met him. She walked into the living room to find Dick lying on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. She walked towards him and looked at the ceiling as well.

"I never thought a ceiling could be so interesting," Evelyn teased, pretending to be intrigued by the plain white ceiling that hung over them; the same ceiling that protected them from the ongoing storm. Dick smirked at her remark. He then took her hand and tugged her towards him, making her fall on top of him.

"Well, I'm glad you came over, because you are much more interesting to look at," Dick said as he looked her in the eyes. "Come lay with me, Evelyn," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her no chance to escape. Giving in to Dick's request, Evelyn made herself comfortable as Dick threw a blanket over them.

"Dick?" Evelyn called out softly to him. She rested her head on his chest, letting the soft beat of his heart lull her to sleep.

"Hmm?" Dick said, equally as tired. He closed his eyes and he unconsciously began to play with Evelyn's hair.

"I just wanted to thank you for being in my life. I can't remember the last time I've been so happy, and it's all thanks to you." Evelyn closed her eyes, unable to resist the temptation of sleep.

"Mm…" Dick replied as he continued to run his hand through Evelyn's hair. "Evelyn?" Dick called out to her a few minutes later. He got no response. Dick looked down to find that Evelyn was fast asleep. Dick smiled; she was just as beautiful asleep as she was awake. "I love you…my angel," Dick whispered, letting sleep consume him.

* * *

"Do we really have to wake them, Buck? They look so peaceful," Jennifer said, her gaze falling upon the sleeping couple on the couch. Buck only nodded. The rain had finally let up and Jennifer and Evelyn needed to get home before it started again. "I really wish we could get a picture of this," Jennifer laughed, knowing that both Evelyn and Dick would be incredibly embarrassed if they ever saw it.

"Wait, I think there's one around here," Buck quickly moved to his room, hoping to find his camera.

"Hurry, before they wake up!" Jennifer whispered loudly after him. She looked at her sleeping friends and could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She only wished that she and Buck could have the same relationship as Dick and Evelyn.

"Got it!" Buck said quietly as he emerged from his room. He hurried back to Jennifer and couldn't help but laugh. "Just imagine the look on their faces when they see this," Buck said, readying his camera. Jennifer smiled and turned to the sleeping couple once again. Evelyn's head rested on Dick's chest; her arm and leg throw across him as if her were a pillow. Dick, on the other hand, held Evelyn in a protective embrace. Jennifer looked more closely and noticed that Dick had a small smile playing on his lips. "Alright, one…two…three!" Buck took the picture, forgetting that the flash would definitely wake them up. "Damnit!" He cursed loudly as he ran into his room to hid the camera. Both Dick and Evelyn woke up, half dazed and half unsure of what just happened.

"Jennifer, what's going on?" Evelyn asked groggily as she looked around the room. When her vision cleared, only then did she notice the compromising postion she was in with Dick. She quickly tried to get up, only to get tangled in a blanket, making her lose her balance. Dick quickly steadied her, preventing Evelyn from falling over.

"I just came to wake up; the rain stopped and we should get going before it starts up again." Jennifer replied as she tried her best not to laugh. Neither of her friends knew what happened. "They'll sure be surprised," she thought to herself.

"Oh? Okay, let me go get changed real fast," Evelyn said as she hurried off to the bathroom. Dick groaned as he got up and stretched, already missing having Evelyn in his arms.

"What time is it?" Dick yawned as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes.

"It's close to ten. You two have been out for a while," Buck said as he emerged from his room. He successfully got the camera there without Dick or Evelyn noticing.

"Alright, I'm ready to go," Evelyn appeared in the living room and walked towards Dick. "Here you go," she handed him the shirt, "thanks Dick." He smiled at her and went to put the shirt back to his room. As he made his way to his room, Dick couldn't help but realize that the nap he had with Evelyn was the most restful sleep he had for as long as he could remember. He walked back to the living room and found the other three ready to go.

"Let's get going then?" Dick asked. The three nodded. When they stepped outside, they were immediately greeted by the cold air. Buck wrapped his arm around Jennifer and Evelyn immediately latched onto Dick, in hopes of staying warm. They made their way to the hospital as winter greeted them with more cold air.

"Alright ladies, here we are," Buck said, as he and Jennifer walked a little ways off so they could say their goodbyes. "Thanks for dinner Ev, it was delicious," Buck called over his shoulder.

"Thank you for making my day wonderful," Evelyn said as she wrapped her arms around him; her dark brown eyes meeting Dick's vibrant blue ones. Dick smiled and leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss.

"You know, Ev, I don't think I've slept that well in my entire life," Dick recalled, as he let his thoughts roam back to the day they had just shared.

"Me too, Dick," Evelyn said. Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Jennifer's voice, telling Evelyn to hurry up. "I'll see you soon, okay? Thanks again, Dick," Evelyn stood on her tiptoes and kissed him which Dick happily accepted. He stood there as he watched Evelyn's retreating figure disappear through the hospital doors.

"You love her, don't you?" Buck said knowingly as he stood next to his friend.

"Yeah, I do, Buck. I really do."

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**Well, there you go! Remember to review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry, I haven't updated in months. :( School has just been so busy, but now that AP tests are over, I'm back! I've got about a month left until I graduate from high school now. :)

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I've had it written for a while but I couldn't find to actually get it up until now. But here you go!

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"Evelyn, sweetie, I know it's your birthday, but you've got to hurry up! We're supposed to be meeting the boys soon!" Christine said. Evelyn had no idea about the surprise party they were throwing her; she only thought that a few of them were going out to eat.

"Okay, okay, let me just get a jacket!" Evelyn took one last look in the mirror, pleased with her appearance. Her black dress fell just below her knees and fitted her perfectly. Her hair was curled and pulled half up, while the rest fell gracefully around her shoulders. Evelyn clasped her necklace around her neck before putting on her jacket. She turned around to the girls as she let out a sigh of content. "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

"Hey Dick, you ready? The girls are supposed to be here soon." Nix said appearing from the doorway. He wore a look of nervousness on his face, most likely due to the fact that it would be the first time he would see Allie since the dance. Dick only grunted in response as he was still working on Evelyn's present. Sounds could be heard all throughout the house, due to the fact that all the boys were getting everything ready for Evelyn's party. It didn't take long for Buck and Jennifer to convince everyone to help out; they had all grown to love their "little nurse".

"There!" Dick said a few minutes later, his present for Evelyn finally finished. He looked up expectantly at Nix. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Dick, I'm sure she'll love it. Besides, Evelyn is so in love with you I bet she's just happy that you're with her on her birthday. You should get dressed, the boys are just about finished setting up," Nix said as he turned to leave.

"Hey, Lew?" Dick said getting his attention before he exited the room, "just talk to Allie okay? We all hate seeing you like this," he stated genuinely.

Nix nodded in response. "Yeah…okay." He left the room, leaving Dick to get ready.

* * *

"Aren't we supposed to meet them here? There aren't any lights on…" Evelyn said as she knocked on the door. No answer. "That's odd," she though to herself, "someone should be home."

"Weird; we were supposed to meet them here," Christine said, walking up next to Evelyn. Of course she knew what was going on, but she had to get Evelyn inside. Christine turned the door knob, checking to see if it was open. "There! The door's open," Christine said. Evelyn walked through the door, as her eyes tried to adjust to the lack of light.

"Hello?" She called out. "Ladies I'm not sure where…"

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled out as the lights came on. Evelyn let out a slight shriek; surprised by all of the sudden noise. A grin soon broke out on her face; she was so happy and surprised that everyone went through the trouble of planning out her birthday.

"You guys did this all for me?" Evelyn asked looking around at the people that surrounded her. All her friends and the men from Easy that she had grown to love were there, but she eagerly scanned the room for a certain redheaded man in particular. Evelyn was unable to find him though, as all her attempts to move away from her friends proved futile.

"Little One, happy birthday! Even though you're 21 now, you'll always be like a little sister to me," Buck said as he wrapped his arms around her in a strong bear hug. "Here, this is for you," he handed her a small package.

"Thank you, Buck!" Evelyn hugged him. Jennifer approached the two and took the gift out of Evelyn's hands.

"Here, I'm going to put all your gifts on the table in the living room, Ev," she said putting it on the table where numerous gifts were already placed. Evelyn slowly made her way through the house, trying to get to Dick while politely greeting everyone else.

"Happy birthday, Ev; remember, you owe us a drink later," Liebgott said, who was standing with Malarky, Webster, and Luz.

"We'll see boys," Evelyn laughed, hugging them all. Once again she made her way through the maze of people; the small living room fitting many more people that she thought it could have.

"Well if it isn't Little Miss Evelyn. Happy birthday, kiddo. As strange as I think that you're attracted to the Quaker, I'm happy for you," Bill said as he ruffled her hair. Normally, Evelyn would have yelled at Bill for his actions but she let it go with a laugh instead. Evelyn walked around for a few more minutes and thanked everyone for such a wonderful party. Soon enough, she ran into Nix.

"Hey Ev, happy birthday," Nix said, not sure what to do. He would not blame Evelyn if she was mad at him. Allie was her best friend and Nix was definitely the one that screwed up.

"Nix, are you going to just stand there all night or are you going to give me a hug?" Evelyn said, giving him a tight hug. She wasn't going to let Allie and Lew's problems keep her from talking to him. Although she and Allie were best friends, she knew Nix was a good guy; both he and Allie just needed to figure things out. He handed her a gift, which she placed on the table designated for all her presents. "Nix, the best birthday you could give me would be if you talked to Allie," Evelyn said, giving him an encouraging smile and made her way to the man she was most excited to see.

"Dick! I'm sorry that I took so long, I just had so many people to talk to…" Dick kissed her, keeping Evelyn from finishing her sentence. All around them they could hear cheers and hollers.

"Woah, boys, I never knew the Lieutenant had it in him!" Malarky yelled out.

"Yeah Malark, maybe you should get some pointers from him," Luz called out from across the room, earning laughs all around. Dick looked down at Evelyn, who currently held a dazed expression on her face.

"Happy birthday Ev," Dick said to her as he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, that was quite the present," Evelyn laughed. Dick smiled and unconsciously felt for the small box he held in his pocket.

* * *

As the night progressed on, Evelyn could easily say that it was her best birthday. She was always accustomed to having extravagant birthday parties with people at least ten years older than her that she hardly knew. This birthday, however, was spent with close friends that she could even call her family. Currently she was watching Buck, Bill, and Don have a drinking contest.

"Evelyn! I think it's time for cake and presents!" Allie called out as she emerged from the kitchen holding a cake in her hands. Ever since they were little, Allie knew that Evelyn could never resist two things: sweets and gifts. Well maybe it's three things now, now that Dick was in the picture. On cue, everyone sang to her—some much more animated than others, due to the alcohol no doubt. "Remember to make a wish Ev," Allie said to her friend. Evelyn smiled and closed her eyes, finding the perfect thing to wish for.

* * *

Allie watched from the kitchen as Evelyn opened her presents. From some of the boys she got a very nice pair of earrings. Buck and Jennifer got her a new purse because Buck broke her other one last week while he was teasing her about how short she was. She and Christine bought her a new dress and heels to match. Allie wasn't sure what Dick got her but she had a feeling that her best friend would love it.

"This one is from Lew," Allie heard Evelyn say. Evelyn opened the package to find a beautiful journal with her name engraved into it. "Oh, thank Lew! It's so pretty!" Evelyn said to him as she admired her gift.

"Lew…" Allie sighed.

"Hey, Al" she heard a voice say from behind her.

"Lew, Lewis. What do you want?" Allie asked somewhat harshly.

Nix gave out a short sigh. "Allie, please just let me talk. I'm sorry about what happened. I should have told you sooner, please forgive me." Nix put his hand on her shoulder. Allie gave no reply. Nix let out one more sigh and let go of her. "Allie, I may be sorry for what happened, but I'm not sorry that I did it. When I kissed you I felt something; something that I've never felt with anyone else. Not even my wife. Allie, the choice is up to you now. I know that my wife hasn't been staying loyal to me. I've planned on calling it off with her soon." With that, Nix walked out of the kitchen towards Dick's room; empty canteen in hand.

* * *

"It's so pretty out here!" Evelyn gasped; the first snow of the year had just fallen, leaving a blanket of snow covering Aldbourne. Dick watched Evelyn as she admired the view, her wavy locks bouncing behind her as she ran around the yard; desperate to keep up. Evelyn ran to him but did not slow down as she came to embrace him, catching Dick off guard. They tumbled to the ground as their laughter filled the empty night. "I believe I've won, love," Evelyn said as she lied on Dick's torso as if she were a cat lounging on their owner.

"Oh, you think so? Because I beg to differ, my dear," Dick easily flipped Evelyn over, using his body weight to pin her down. He met her lips in a kiss which Evelyn happily accepted. Dick soon got up, bringing Evelyn's tiny form up with him and brushed out the snow from her hair. "Evelyn? I wanted to give you this," Dick said, looking through his pockets for her gift, "Happy birthday." He placed the small box in her hands and looked at her expectantly. "I'm sorry if you don't like it…" he said worriedly as she removed the ribbon. She opened the box to find a beautiful silver bracelet.

"Oh Dick, it's beautiful!" Evelyn exclaimed as she removed the bracelet. From closer inspection, she found that a small compass was attached to the end of the bracelet. "A compass? So I don't get lost, Lieutenant?" Evelyn asked, humor laced in her voice.

"No," Dick laughed as he took the bracelet from her. "I put a compass on there because ever since I've met you Evelyn, you've lead me in the right direction. You showed me what love is and what truly being happy means," he clasped the bracelet, securing it to Evelyn's small wrist. "Evelyn, you are my compass."

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Well there you go! I'm sorry it's not as long as other chapters but I promise I'll update really soon! I hope you guys liked it. Remeber to review!


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